A Memorable Journey
by nightleyss
Summary: When Katniss makes her way back from Prim's university, a car break down on a deserted road leads to an interesting encounter with an attractive blue eyed stranger. Panem AU written for Fandom4LLS.


**Katniss' pov**

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games or any characters which are mentioned in my story, it all belongs to Suzanne Collins._

She was glad that Prim had given in when Katniss proposed driving her to college instead of buying a plane ticket. For once, they were painfully expensive and Katniss had no idea how she would have been able to afford it and secondly, she loved driving. She loved being in control and seeing the scenery around her change within just a few hours. She loved the feeling of freedom and being able to go wherever she wanted.

When Prim had the idea of leaving a few days early and making a road trip out of the whole affair, Katniss couldn't help but be overly enthusiastic about it. Ever since she has been a little girl, her biggest dream was to see everything of America, be it by foot or car. It has also been her father's dream for a long time and ever since he died, Katniss was determined to fulfill their plan for the two of them.

She also knew that she would never be able to see everything in one sitting, but if she just gave herself enough time and more than just a few journeys, she hopefully would be able to make her dream come true.

So now, one week after they left home and started to make their way halfway across the country and without Prim at her side, she couldn't help but feel a hint of bitterness overtaking her. As much as she loved the fact that Prim was able to go to college and live her dream of becoming a doctor, she also always felt a bit lonely when she entered their house in their hometown and was greeted by nothing but dead silence.

Dropping off her sister was a whole another thing. Even though they would see each other in less than a few months, tears were shed and both, Katniss and Prim, weren't willing to let go of each other so soon. After having dinner and discussing their plans for Prim's next visit, Katniss set off and made her way back home, alone in her shitty truck with nothing but her car radio to keep her company.

So it was safe to say that Katniss' mood didn't improve that much when her car suddenly started stuttering and she barely had time to pull it over on the side of the street before the engine completely died down. When she got out and slammed the door shut behind her, she realized that the street she was currently on, was completely abandoned and the next gas station had to be miles away.

Katniss mentally cursed herself for not paying more attention to the things Gale told her when she had left. It was common sense that her truck's life span was supposed to end in the near future, but when Gale started tossing around words and terms Katniss wasn't even able to spell correctly, she decided to spend her time with much more important things.

When she finally got around to check her phone, she felt like stuck in a terrible movie because just as she was about to dial a towing service's number, her battery suddenly ran out and left her behind staring at a dark screen for a few minutes.

"Fucking shit, just my luck." She figured it was safe to curse since she felt like the last person on earth and couldn't care less about anyone overhearing her. And if somebody really did, he or she better had the decency to stop and help her.

Katniss spent the next 30 minutes with aimlessly wandering around her truck, constantly checking if she couldn't make it work again and basically having no idea what she was doing at all when she suddenly felt a light tap on her shoulder which made her jump.

"Holy shit!" Her gaze fell on a blond and broad shouldered guy in front of her. "Damn, you scared the crap out of me!"

An amused look crossed his face and his following chuckle made Katniss' stomach churn. She looked around and her face immediately fell when she noticed the absence of a car or anything that would help her get away from here. The only thing the stranger had with him was a huge backpack which looked like it had to contain his whole life. He was fairly muscular and good looking, but every last bit of Katniss' hope faded when she noticed the Labrador sitting at his side. The guy basically looked like he couldn't harm a fly, let alone repair her car.

She let out a frustrated huff and turned away from him, trying to start the car once again.

"Well, I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound very good." When she turned to face him again, the dirty look she gave him only made him smile even broader.

"Thanks, Sherlock." Katniss couldn't help but roll her eyes at him. Who did he think he was? If he was only here to make fun of her, he could easily leave her alone too.

"Sorry." An apologetic smile appeared on his face and Katniss couldn't help but wonder if he knew how young he looked in that moment. "Would you mind if I checked it out? My dad had the same truck once and it also broke down constantly. I guess you could say I learned one thing or two."

Katniss had no idea where this guy came from, let alone what his name was, but instant relief washed over her and she tried to give him what she hoped was a hint of a smile. "Yes, please. I honestly have no idea what I'm supposed to do with it." She widely gestured at the car behind her. "And also my phone battery died. You wouldn't happen to have one?"

He just shook his head and murmured something that sounded like 'getting away from old life' before shrugging off his backpack, trusting his dog's leash in her hand and making his way to the hood of the car.

Katniss was left behind staring at the way his biceps moved when he opened the hood and started rummaging around in or on the engine, she honestly had no idea. Still quite spellbound by the way he was expertly checking different fluids and wires, a movement by her side caught her eye and she suddenly became aware of the dog at her side. It wasn't like she was that fond of animals, her sister's cat definitely being the cause of many of her outbursts, but his dog looked pretty harmless and she bent down to pet him.

Suddenly, better sense overcame her and she face him again. "Your dog doesn't bite, does it?"

She could make out his amused laugh from somewhere in between her car's hood. "No, SHE doesn't." There was a pause where Katniss wondered if he was going to continue, followed by a grunt. "Her name's Josie by the way."

She looked at the dog once again and figured she had to be harmless enough if she was behaving that good. When Katniss started scratching the dog behind her ears, it released a content noise and Katniss could hear the stranger's voice again. "She likes you!"

A small smile crept on Katniss face. "Well, I have to be good for something, don't I? Even if it's just to look after your dog."

Katniss kept on patting the dog until she noticed that the noise which the guy had caused had long stopped and looked up to see him staring at her. "Yeah. You keep on doing that and look pretty, and we will get this baby running in no time!"

She could feel her face turning red and immediately looked away again. How was it that she didn't even know his name, and he was already able to have this effect on her? True, he was quite handsome and charming, but Katniss normally wasn't the one to get butterflies in her stomach when some strange guy said something nice about her.

She decided to let it go, after all she was sure that wouldn't see him ever again after this encounter.

A few minutes later, when Katniss made herself comfortable in the backseat with her book in her lap and the dog by her side, she suddenly could feel him getting into the driver's seat and trying to turn on the engine. A sudden sensation of danger overtook her until she noticed that he was simply trying out if he got the car to work again.

When it started rumbling and she could feel the engine coming to life, a huge smile took over her face and she got out of the backseat to pull him out of the driver's side. Before she even knew what she was doing, she pulled him into a tight hug. A feeling of immense warmth immediately spread through her whole body and when he wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her closer to him, the previous fluttering in her stomach made an appearance once again.

They stayed like this for a moment until Katniss suddenly realized that she was basically hugging a stranger. When she tried to pull away, it was like she pulled them out of some kind of spell and suddenly the air between them was filled with awkwardness.

"Uhm…" she kept looking at him, but it was like she didn't know her own language anymore. "So… thank you, I uhm… would have been lost without you. I don't know how to repay you, to be honest." A hurt look crossed his face but she chose to ignore it. "I guess I could give you some money, but I still have a week long drive ahead of me and I kind of need it for gas and stuff…"

He shook his head sharply. "No, I don't want your money, that is. But I've got a question."

Katniss eyebrows shot up in confusion and a chuckle escaped him at the look she gave him. "Well, shoot."

He suddenly appeared to be nervous again and Katniss began to notice how cute the dimples around his mouth made him look. "Well, so I have been travelling through Panem for quite some time now, and my final place to be is District 12, because my elder brother just opened a bakery there and I'm going to help him handle it. You know where this is?" She nodded, only feeling more confused about where he was going with that. "And so I figured, you know since you appear to be driving in the same direction I'm going, if you could take me with you? Like, not the whole way, wherever you are heading is fine, and if it's completely out of the way you can just drop me of, wherever is fine."

She stayed silent for a moment. One the one hand, she had no idea who he actually was, he could be some freak or psychopath for all she knew. He was a baker, it fit him to be honest, and he had repaired her car, so basically she could do him the favor of taking him with her. After all, they were heading to the same destination. And last but not least, she really and truly hated owing people.

Katniss gave him a small smile and extended his hand to him. "I'm Katniss, welcome on board."

Peeta, as he told her later his name was, wasn't that bad of a travel companion. For once, he was easy to talk to and he also provided some snacks for which Katniss was endlessly thankful for and secondly, Josie was behaving perfectly and sleeping in the backseat like nothing could ever disturb her slumber.

She was also glad that he was doing most of the talking and all she had to do was to show interest in his story and ask a question once in a while. But she also had to admit, that she liked the things he told her. Like the 2 months he spent in District 11 helping on a farm and learning everything he knew about the different grain varieties and how he could finally afford a train ticket to District 4 where he saw the ocean for the first time and hated himself for not being able to swim. That made Katniss' heart ache, she and Prim were only able to spend half a day in District 4 and Katniss loved to swim more than anything else. She made a mental note to immediately visit her dad's lake when she got home.

The more and more he talked, the more jealous she got. Jealous of his courage to just get into a train and look were it could take him. To meet new people and make new experiences, despite sometimes being afraid of it. But most of all, she was jealous of the fact the he had the time to travel that much.

If Katniss ever took some time off, it was to do something with her sister. But otherwise, she worker her ass off, day off and on, to provide them a decent life and to afford Prim's university education. She loved her sister to death, but sometimes she couldn't help wanting to do something solely for herself and no one else.

Katniss was still deep in thought when his voice suddenly interrupted her fantasies. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"It's nothing. I was just thinking about my sister." She sighed and hoped that he would drop the topic, but Peeta wasn't the one to let it go that easily. "Sister? Is that why you drove basically across the whole country?"

She briefly glanced over at him and everything she saw was honest curiosity written all over his face. "Yeah, she's going to university in District 2. The best medical education you can get."

Peeta's face immediately light up. "That's where I'm from! Your parents must be hard workers to be able to afford something like that."

Katniss stayed silent for a minute, waiting for the feeling of anger and sadness to wash over her and leave behind the feeling of emptiness and dread she got so familiar with. She tried to will the tears in her eyes away, but was merely successful when she suddenly felt Peeta's hand on her arm. "Hey." His voice was unbelievably soothing. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to make you sad. You don't have to talk about it."

Normally, she would be immensely relieved to hear that, but something about him made her want to tell him everything and to get it off her chest for once. Gale always pestered her about swallowing everything and that someday it would all overwhelm her, but she never felt that safe with anyone to actually talk about what happened.

As much as she wanted to talk to him, a little part of her brain still told her that it was too early, that she just had gotten to know him and honestly, she didn't want to scare him off yet.

Before she was able to say anything, the hand on her arm was gone. "It's okay. I understand." She looked over at him once again and was met with a smile so warm and genuine, that she couldn't help but give him a weak smile herself.

"Thank you."

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Sometime between their 8th and 9th hour of their driving, Katniss' stomach began to growl and Peeta gave her a sympathetic smile. "I think I saw a sign for a diner in about 2 miles or something. Let's pull over, I'm getting hungry too."

A few minutes later, they were finally situated in a small booth in the corner of a diner with Josie at their feet, once again fast asleep. Katniss couldn't help but nudge her with her foot lightly and Peeta chuckled when he noticed her doing it. "She's not always that lame. But we have been walking for quite some time now and I think it's good for her to finally get some rest while she's able to."

Right, Katniss still hadn't told Peeta that they are basically going to the same destination, so he didn't have to worry about walking anytime soon. She took a sip of her water and cleared her throat. "Right, about that. We both have the same goal, so you don't have to worry about it anymore."

His face immediately broke out into a huge smile and within seconds he was out of his seat and by Katniss', hugging her like his life depended on it. His mouth was directly at her ear and his breath sent a shiver running down her spine. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! You have no idea what a relief that is!"

A fit of laughter escaped Katniss when Peeta finally let her go and went back to sit down, still a huge smile on his face. "You're welcome, you know."

Just as Peeta was about to open his mouth to say something, the waitress arrived with their food and Katniss' mouth immediately started watering at the sight in front of her.

A comfortable silence spread over them while they were eating, and Katniss caught herself admiring the way his jaw flexed with every bite he took. She couldn't help but feel ridiculous, here she was fawning over a guy who she barely knew but could make her feel like butter within seconds.

When they were both finished, Peeta insisted on paying for their dinner and Katniss was still complaining about it when they were seated in her car again.

"Okay. You can pay me back with answering a few question. Say, 5?"

Confusion had to be written all over her face. "I just want to get to know you. I mean, we have to spend the next week or so with each other."

She released her breath. "Okay, but I also get one turn. And one condition please, no questions about parents."

Sympathy crossed his face and he nodded. "Yes, that's more than okay with me." He turned his face away from her and stared out of the front window for a second, when he looked back, she was able to see a hint of sadness in his eyes and Katniss figured that he too wasn't exactly the free spirit she thought him to be.

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"So you've really never had a boyfriend? Come on Katniss, you have to be kidding me." The bewildered look on his face made Katniss grin and she answered easily. "Nope, 3rd question."

A hurt look crossed his face, which only made her laugh even harder. "What? No that's not fair, come on!"

"4th question." He just kept looking at her and she had to keep both hands on the steering wheel to keep her from losing control over the car. "I was kidding! But no Peeta, I've never head a boyfriend. I'm 23 and I have better things to do."

He released the breath he was holding and chuckled nervously. "Damn, you are way too pretty for that." Once again, her face turned completely red. "So, but you have a little friend to help you out, don't you?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively.

Katniss was about to ask what he meant when realization dawned on her. He couldn't be talking about _that_, could he? She was mortified to look at him, but a tiny part in her was also determined to keep on playing their game. If he wanted to play dirty, she could do it too. Without even bothering to glance at him, she said: "I do, Peeta. And believe me, it satisfies me perfectly."

There were a few seconds of silence before Peeta started coughing furiously on the water he was drinking. When she briefly looked at him, she noticed that he was staring at her with his mouth open and muttering something under his breath. He had clearly not expected her to answer his question. Normally, she would have found the whole situation insanely awkward, but she was pretty pleased with herself for making him shut up for a minute.

She had returned all her focus on driving, when he suddenly hit her with his last question. "So tell me, how do you like it, Katniss? Slow, or fast like your driving style?"

Katniss would have probably lost control of the car, if she hadn't been gripping the steering wheel that tightly. She had heard the self confidence in his voice when he posed the question and so she was determined not to show him how mortified she was and kept staring at the road ahead of her.

"Oh, Peeta. You know, it always depends on my mood. When I'm relaxed? Slow is the thing to go. But you know, those times when you are madly turned on and desperate to get off? Fast, damn yes, very fast."

She couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth. They had known each other for less than a day, and already she told him her dirty secrets, she wouldn't even dream about telling someone else.

Peeta audibly swallowed beside her and moved around in his seat, desperately trying to find a comfortable position to hide his forming hard on, but Katniss was more than aware of what was going on with him.

She also knew that it was her turn to ask now, and as much as she wished to continue teasing him and seeing how long he would be able to stand it, she decided to let him off the hock, for now.

He visibly relaxed when Katniss asked him about his brother, which had opened the bakery in District 12. She had already been there and just now noticed the resemblance between the guy behind the counter and his brother. The same dirty blond hair and blue eyes, whereas Peeta's were even clearer, and those shoulders, yes she definitely noticed them.

When Katniss asked him about his favorite pastry, it seemed like he would never stop talking again, but she found herself really enjoying listening to his voice.

By the time they finally got to the motel, which Katniss had booked even before she began her trip with Prim, she had purposely stopped asking questions after her 4th one and Peeta got more and more nervous by the second.

They decided to share the room she had booked, and Katniss figured it would be okay to share the twin bed with Peeta as long as he kept to his side. When it came to changing into their night clothes, he proofed to be the perfect gentleman and went to change in the bathroom.

Later that night, after watching a movie Katniss never heard of but Peeta insisted it was a crime not to have seen it, they were both lying awake in bed. Neither of them knew what to say to make the situation any less awkward and Katniss figured it was now or never.

After making sure that Peeta's breaths were still uneven, indicating that he was still awake, she decided to drop her last question.

"So Peeta, are you still a virgin?"

The silence which greeted her said more than a thousand words.

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Despite the fact that the next morning was more than awkward for the both of them, Katniss was still pretty pleased with herself. She enjoyed the way Peeta blushed every time she looked at him or when she caught him looking at her while they were eating breakfast.

He once again insisted in paying and Katniss didn't object this time, instead she just thanked him accompanied with a genuine smile and a wink.

Back on the road, the car was filled with uncommon silence and since Peeta offered to drive, Katniss sat in the passenger seat, feet propped up on the console in front of her and her book in her lap. Once in a while, his cough would interrupt the silence and she knew he was dying to say something.

After 30 more minutes of tiptoeing around each other, Katniss finally set her book down and turned to face him. "Spit it out, Mellark"

He briefly glanced at her and took a deep breath. "I… well, I guess you know I was still awake yesterday?" She gave him a small smile and nodded at him to go on. "Uh, I, uh… you're right."

A chuckle escaped her. "I figured that much."

"But you?"

"Just because I haven't had a boyfriend, that doesn't mean I don't know how to enjoy myself you know." His face turned completely red and she placed her hand on his biceps, squeezing it reassuringly. "Peeta, listen. I bet you have noticed how uncomfortable you have made me yesterday, too, and I just wanted to play a little with you. It's perfectly fine, not like I'm an expert either, okay?"

Finally, a small smile appeared on his face and she could feel the tension leave his body. "Yes. Right. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have started it yesterday."

Her hand was still resting on his arm and she gave him a half smirk. "No, it was fun, wasn't it?"

Peeta glanced over at her and this time when he smiled at her it finally reached his eyes.

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Later that day, they decided to stop somewhere between District 3 and 4 for a quick lunch and while Peeta went inside the restaurant to buy some take out, Katniss suddenly noticed a sign that said "District 3 National Park, wonderful nature!". When he came back, Katniss proposed to make the quick drive and eat their food there.

Peeta loved the idea and after they took the blankets and pillows, they both had taken with them, and tried to make the trunk of the truck somewhat comfortable for them to sit and enjoy their meal.

During eating, Peeta kept pointing out different animals and trees to Katniss, and even though she was certain that she probably knew more about it than he did, she kept her mouth shut and enjoyed seeing him like that. She figured he was kind of cute when he talked that animatedly about something and she soon found herself scooting closer to him.

Finished with their meal, they remained sitting there with their shoulders touching and just enjoying the scene unfolding in front of them. Peeta was in the middle of explaining to her how to paint the perfect sunset, when she suddenly interrupted him.

"Peeta, I know I said I would drop it, but I have to ask. Surely you have been kissed before, haven't you?"

She looked at him and the blush that overtook his face was answer enough for her. "Yeah, no. I mean.. not really." She raised her eyebrows at him. "I mean, when I was liked 5 or something. My best friend Delly gave me a kiss, but that's it."

She was desperate for him to look at her, but he stubbornly kept staring at his hands in his lap. Katniss knew it was maybe a long shot, but even though she had barely known him for two days, she felt much more comfortable with him than anybody else, so she placed her hand on his jaw and forced him to look at her.

"I'm not going to laugh at you, you know that." Relief flooded over his face.

Without a second thought she placed her lips on his and pulled him a little closer to her. For a moment, he didn't react at all, but when he finally realized what was going on he kissed her back and a desperate moan escaped his lips. He traced her lip with his tongue, begging her to open up to him, but before they could take it any further, Katniss pulled away from him.

A frustrated grunt escaped him and he looked like a kid whose favorite toy had been taken away.

Katniss couldn't help but laugh at the expression on his face and placed a quick kiss on the corner of his mouth. "Patience, mister. That's step one."

She nearly felt bad for him when a nervous chuckle escaped him and she stood up a bit, positioned herself in his lap and wrapped her arms around him. Both of them knew that this was more meant to be comforting than sexual and Peeta more than willingly pressed her closer to him.

She could feel his breath at her neck. "Katniss, I…"

"Peeta, no. Just say no and we are going to forget that. I honestly don't know what came over me. Normally I'm not like that okay. We can easily go back to being friends." She instantly noticed that this was not what she would want to happen.

"No, that's not what I meant. I really like you, like really and it's crazy because we've known each other for barely two days and I already trust you so much, you know." Katniss couldn't see his face, since it was still hid in the crook of her neck, but the sincerity in his voice was clearly audible.

They remained in that position for a few minutes and when Katniss pulled away from Peeta and started to lower her lips on his again, a high pitched whine from the backseat broke them apart.

This time it was Katniss who cursed under her breath, but Peeta just chuckled and started to get up. "Best cock blocker ever, huh?"

While Peeta went to feed the dog, Katniss remained sitting on the trunk and as she watched him babbling along in what had to be his "dog speak", she wondered why she already felt so close to him and was ready to break down her walls just to let him in.

For her, he was the kind of person she just wanted to talk to, not only about the most random things but also things that really mattered, things she has kept to herself for so long and now threatened to come out.

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The next few days were like a blur for the both of them. Between driving, feeding themselves and the dog and a few chaste kisses here and there, they talked about god and the world. If Katniss thought before that she knew everything about him, she was definitely wrong. There were so many different sides of Peeta which amazed her, but when he started talking about his childhood everything she could do was remain silent and stare at him.

"I know we agreed not to talk about parent's stuff, but I feel like you wouldn't judge me, you know?" He gave her a quick glance before focusing on the road again. "Long story short, my mom wasn't the nicest one. She hit us, me and my brothers, but most of the time me. I guess it was because I didn't turn out to be a girl and she was just fed up with boys. I often wondered how I could make it easier for her, I tried so hard to please her, to make everything right and to be the perfectly mannered son every mother could wish for. That's why I don't let anyone near me, except for you I guess."

The silence between the two of them had to be heavier than a ton of bricks, but as hard as Katniss thought about the right things to say, nothing which could make up for his pain came into her mind. Suddenly her head snapped into his direction when she heard a sniffle and noticed a single tear running down his face, she knew what she had to do.

"Peeta, pull the car over!" She knew her tone of voice left no room for discussion.

Her gave her a vary look before taking the next exit and parking the car in the parking lot of a shabby looking diner somewhere between District 11 and 12.

There were a few seconds of silence between them until Katniss finally turned to him and took his face into her hands. She gave him a soft smile. "Peeta. You are the most gentle and loving person I've ever met in my life. And coming from me, this is a really big deal. I have known you for barely a week, but I feel so close to you that I hate to see you like this and I don't care how this sounds but your mom is a bitch. It's no excuse to hit your children just because you are not happy with their gender or whatever? I mean who does that? Seriously, she doesn't deserve you or your effort. You turned out to be a wonderful human being, despite having an awful childhood and only you can take credit for that okay? Don't think badly about yourself, I know how it is to blame youself for things that happened, but sometimes it's okay to not carry all the world's weight on your own shoulders."

Katniss could feel the tears streaming down her own face and saw the same expression reflected in Peeta's. After a few minutes, he opened his mouth to say something, but Katniss placed her thumb on his lips and shock her head. "No, you are a wonderful wonderful human being." And which that, she was kissing him. But it was nothing like any of their other kisses, this one was filled with longing and hope. And when Peeta ran his tongue along the seam of her lips, she finally granted him access and welcomed him with a deep moan.

It was the first time that Katniss started dreading the end of this trip. Would they see each other again? Would he even want to see her again?

When they broke apart, a small smile crept on Peeta's lips and Katniss could feel incredible warmth spreading through her body down to her toes.

Suddenly his voice broke the comfortable silence between them. "What are we doing, Katniss?"

"What are you talking about?" Her eyebrows shot up in confusion and she shook her head a little.

Peeta placed his thumb on the corner of her lips and started slowly tracing it's couture with it. "I mean, what are we doing? We will arrive in 12 tomorrow and I don't know if I could manage going on with my life that easily, without you I mean."

"Why do you think you'll have to do it without me?" Katniss let one of her hands wander through his hair, scraping his scalp lightly.

A huge smile spread across his face. "I won't?"

"No." she shook her head. "Whatever this is, we will figure it out. And anyway, the bakery is only a 10 minute walk from my house, so I guess we will run into each other from time to time." A nervous chuckle escaped her.

Peeta finally released a deep breath he must have been holding and threw his arms around her, pulling her body flush against his. His breath at her ear made her shiver and she could hear the longing in his voice. "Promise?"

"I promise."

_Thank you for reading! Come talk to me on Tumblr - dazzlingjosh_


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